Railway-frog.



GEORGE L. BELL, OF ELK VALLEY, TENNESSEE.

RAILWAY-FROG.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2, 1908.

Application filed January 13, 1908. Serial No. 410,610.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. BELL, a British subject, residing at ElkValley, in the county of Campbell and State of Tennessee, have inventedcertain new and useful 1mprovements in Railway-Frogs, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in railway frogs, and has for itsobject the provision of a simple, inexpensive and practicaldevice ofthis character which will provide a continuous rail for the main linetrack and will permit of cars coming in on the main line from the sidetrack, the frog point automatically returning to the original positionafter the passage of the cars.

My invention also has for its object the provision of an automaticrailway frog which may be readily applied for use without necessitatingany alterations or additions to the track and which will entirelydispense with the use of guard rails.

With the above andother objects in view, my invention com rises incombination with the frog wings, a frog point mounted therebetween, theheel of the frog being pivoted to the trackway, and spring mechanism fornormally holding thefrog point against one of, the frog wings to providea continuous track.

My invention further consists of a railway frog or switch embodyingcertain other novel features of construction, combination andarrangement of parts substantially as disclosed herein and asillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a plan view of my invention with the parts in normalposition, the angle at which the side track leaves the main line beingexaggerated for the sake of clearness. Fig. 2, is a detail view of thepivotal mounting for the heel of the frog point. j

In the drawings: the numeral 1, designates the main line track and 2,the siding or side track leading into the main line. The frog 3, islocated at the head of the converging inner rails of the main and sidetrack, and frog wings 4 and 5, are spaced on each side of the frogpoint, the wing 4 shown to the left in the figure, forming acontinuation of the main line track, and the opposite wing 5 forming acontinuation of the inner rail of the siding and leading to the outerrail of the main track. These wings or formation rails terminate justshort of the main line rails so as to provide sufficient space for thepassage of the wheel flanges as indicated at 6. A supporting plate 7, ismounted upon the ties beneath the frog point and wings so as to',

support the same and to allow lateral sliding movement of the frogpoint. The wing 4 of the main line is formed with a seat or recess S,therein located ust in rear of its angular bend to receive y the pointof the frog. When the frog is thus in its normal position in engagementwith the main line wing a continuous main track rail is provided. Inorder to hold the frog in this normal position, a headed bolt 9, ispassed through the point of the frog and the main line wing, there beingan eye 10, formed in the free end of the bolt in which is secured oneend of the coil spring 11, the opposite end of the spring beingconnected to the bolt 12, which in turn is passed through the anchorblock 13, and has a nut 14, mounted upon its extended end for adjustingthe tension of the spring. The

anchor block is preferably mounted in the center of the track andsecured directly to the ties.

A pivot plate 15, is bolted or otherwise secured to the heel of the frogand through a ivot opening 16, in the vcenter of the plate between thetwo rails of the frog, is passed the pin or pintle 17, which is engagedin the tie or like support to pivotally secure the frog in place. Thispivot connection rovides a wide lateral support for the hee of the frogand provides for the proper freedom of movement of the parts. A slightclearance as shown at 18, is rovided between the butt end of the frogra' s and the ends of the converging rails so as to allow the frog pointto swing in either direction.

The invention is articularly adaptable `for use on inclined rai ways asin use in mines and in like places where a through main line is providedfor the descending loaded cars, the empty ascendingcars on the sidingentering the main track by forcing the frog point over against thetension of the spring and going in on the main line, the springreturnuous unbroken main trackway is always insured and there is nodanger of cars accidentally running from the main track onto the siding.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings,the operation and advantages' of my railway frog will be readilyunderstood and appreciated, and it will be evident that I have produceda device of the character set forth which fully and satisfactorilyaccomplishes all the results herein stated as the objects of theinvention.

I claim: l

The railway frog herein shown and described consisting of a bed plate, apair of frog wings resting thereon, one of said wings having alongitudinal. recess at the bend therein, a frog point consisting of tworails converging to a point, said point resting on the bed plate betweenthe frog wings, a pivot plate secured to the heel of the two railsforming the oint to provide a broad supporting base or the heel of thepoint, a pint e passed through said pivot plate andengaged in the tie topivot the point in place, an anchor block secured to one of the tiesadjacent one of the wings, a bolt adjustably held in said anchor blockand having an eye at the inner end, a headed bolt engaged in the* ointwith its shank rojecting through the a joining wing, said ast named boltalso having an eye, and a spring having its ends engaged in the eyes ofthe two bolts and exerting its tension to draw the point over seated inthe recess in the frog wing.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEO. L. BELL` Witnesses:

EwEL BAIRD, JESSE BAIRD.

